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Leopard
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| Setswana name | Nkwe |
| Scientific name | Panthera pardus |
| Total length | 160-210cm; tail68-110cm |
| Shoulder height | 70-80cm |
| Mass | (male) 20-90kg, (female) 17-60kg |
| Identification pointers | Large size; rosette spots on body, solid black spots on legs, head, sides and hindquarters; lacks the black face-lines of Cheetah and is more heavily spotted. See Cheetah. |
Description: An elegant, powerfully built cat, with a beautifully spotted coat. The basic body colour varies from almost white to orange-russet, with black sports on the legs, flanks, hindquarters and head. The spots on the rest of the body consists of rosettes or broken circles of irregular black spots. The tail is about half of the total length, with rosette spots above and a white tip. The ears are rounded and white-tipped. The underparts are usually white to off-white. Cubs have dark, wooly hair and less-distinct spots.
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Habitat: The leopard has a wide habitat tolerance being recorded in open grassland and scrub, riverine woodland and in rocky hilly country. They can be found anywhere in Botswana. Leopards occur in the driest part of the country with a mean annual rainfall of 200mm and less, as well as well-watered higher rainfall areas such as the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.
Behaviour: Normally solitary except when a pair come together to mate or when a female is accompanied by cubs. Although it is mainly active at night, in areas where it is not disturbed it can be seen moving during the cooler daylight hours. Although it is mainly terrestrial, it is a good climber and swimmer. Males mark and defend a territory against other males, and a male's territory may overlap that of several females. Territories are marked with urine, droppings and tree-scratching points. Home ranges may be as small as 10km2 or several hundred square kilometres. The size is largely dependent on the availability of the food. Although normally silent the leopard does have a characteristic call that has been likened to the sound of a coarse saw cutting wood. Leopards stalk and then pounce on their prey and do not rely on running at high speed like Cheetah.
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Food: A broad diet, ranging from insects, rodents and birds to medium-sized and occasionally large antelope. In some rocky and mountainous areas daisies make up an important part of the diet. It will on occasion kill more than its immediate needs, the surplus being stored for later use. Kills may be dragged under dense bush, amongst rocks, or in some areas into trees out of reach of other predators. Leopard readily feed from rotten carcasses.
Reproduction: Litters of 2-3 cubs, weighing around 500g, are born in dense cover, rock crevices after a gestation period of about 100 days. There is no fixed breeding season.
General: Leopards may take to man eating. Trapped, wounded or threatened, the Leopard can be extremely dangerous, but under normal circumstances it is shy and withdraws from disturbance.
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